CompassionateAlberta.ca
Client: Covenant Health Palliative Institute
Role: Communications Advisor (2020–2024)
Challenge
The Covenant Health Palliative Institute received two grants in 2020, one aimed at raising public awareness about palliative care and another aimed at increasing uptake of advance care planning in Alberta. There was a definite need for such resources. Surveys from around the time showed that only half of Canadians even knew what palliative care was, and the percentage of Canadian adults that had undertaken advance care planning stood at around 30 percent. While no statistics were available for the province of Alberta specifically, we had no reason to think they were notably different
At the time, no Alberta-specific digital resources existed vis-a-vis these topics—either separately or as one. The challenge was to design and develop a single website that would fulfill the missions of both grant projects, providing clear, accessible, and compassionate information while aligning with Covenant Health’s mission of supporting individuals, caregivers, and healthcare providers. The idea was initially floated to develop two separate sites, one focused on palliative care and another on advance care planning, but budgetary and resource limitations ruled this out. It therefore had to be a single website encompassing both topics.
Solution
I led the development of the website’s content strategy, information architecture, and UX writing, ensuring that every aspect of the platform was:
User-Centred: I designed an intuitive, easy-to-navigate sitemap that helped users find information quickly, which we tree tested to perfection.
Accessible and Clear: I led a team of 15 subject matter experts in developing plain-language content tailored for diverse audiences, including patients, families, and healthcare professionals. To this end, I created a specialized style guide and offered advice on plain language writing.
Compassionate and Engaging: I crafted content that balanced clinical accuracy with empathy and clarity, recognizing the sensitive nature of the subject matter.
Collaborative and Aligned: I worked closely with an external advisory committee consisting of healthcare professionals and community stakeholders to ensure the website reflected both medical best practices and user needs.
Results
50% Increase in User Engagement Within Six Months: After a slow first few months, we experienced a significant spike in traffic (after the site was promoted by some notable external stakeholders), resulting in a 50% increase in engagement, driven by higher page views, longer session durations, and improved navigation flow.
Enhanced SEO Performance: By implementing SEO best practices, the website gained strong search visibility, attracting organic traffic from users seeking information on palliative care as well as advance care planning resources.
Established a Trusted Digital Resource: The platform became a key resource for patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers, filling a critical gap in Alberta’s digital healthcare ecosystem.
Strengthened Stakeholder Collaboration: The project fostered alignment between communications teams, healthcare experts, and external partners, ensuring consistent messaging and long-term impact.
Key Takeaways
Building a digital platform from the ground up requires both strategic vision and tactical execution—from designing the site structure to crafting user-centric content that resonates with diverse audiences.
Clear, compassionate communication is essential when addressing sensitive topics like death, dying, and grief, helping to build trust, empathy, and connection.
Cross-functional collaboration ensures that content is both clinically accurate and accessible, bridging the gap between technical information and everyday understanding.
Why This Matters
This project demonstrates my ability to:
Create engaging digital platforms from the ground up, ensuring that complex concepts are communicated with clarity, accessibility, and empathy.
Design intuitive information architecture that enhances user experience and drives engagement.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align technical accuracy with user needs.